American inspectors arrive in Jordan
U.N. Security Council condemns expulsion
Latest developments:
November 14, 1997
Web posted at: 10:10 p.m. EST (0310 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Six Americans from the United Nations weapons inspection team arrived in Jordan early Friday after an overnight drive from Baghdad. The inspectors, expelled by Iraq on Thursday, were to continue on to Amman, Jordan's capital.
In response to the expulsion, the U.N. ordered the remaining 68 international inspectors out of the country. They flew from Baghdad to Bahrain Friday morning, a U.N. official said.
At U.N. headquarters, the Security Council debated late into the night over the wisdom of withdrawing all the inspectors, finally issuing a statement condemning Iraq "in the strongest possible terms."
The statement, passed just before midnight, did not warn Iraq of "serious consequences" if it does not comply. It did, however, refer to a statement issued last month that used the phrase.
Chief U.N. weapons inspector Richard Butler ordered the entire U.N. inspection team to leave Iraq, saying he would not accept "segregation" of the American inspectors from those of other nationalities on UNSCOM. Only a minimal staff will remain to watch over UNSCOM headquarters.
Butler also said that flights by U-2 surveillance planes, which Iraq has threatened to shoot down, would continue.
The six Americans -- three arms experts and three technicians -- left after a joint meeting of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council and the ruling Baath Party Command reaffirmed the October 29 expulsion.
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Text of Security Council statement condemning Iraq
Richardson, Aziz continue war of words
U.S. warns of 'grave consequences'
U.S.ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson
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Chief weapons inspector Richard Butler "..every day lost makes the circumstances worse" |
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The decision brought a warning from the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, that the Iraqi move was unacceptable and would have "grave consequences."
He said Iraq was violating the U.N. Charter and called the
moves to expel the Americans "an outrageous and irresponsible action on part of the Iraqis" that was in open defiance of the Security Council.
In Paris, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Iraqi expulsion was "unacceptable," while British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook called the move an "act of obstruction."
But at the U.N. Thursday night, anonymous diplomatic sources said several members of the Security Council were angered by Butler's decision to reduce the U.N. inspection team in Baghdad, instead of simply withdrawing the American members.
Americans turned back for 10th time
The crisis has been building since October 29 when the Iraqi government first announced that it planned to expel American members of UNSCOM.
Baghdad decided to enforce the expulsions one day after the U.N. Security Council, by a unanimous vote, condemned Iraq, imposed a travel ban on Iraqi officials and warned of "further measures" if it did not reverse its decision.
Earlier Thursday, prior to the expulsion announcement, Iraq turned back American inspectors from suspected weapons sites for the 10th time in 11 days.
Iraq has said it would allow non-American inspectors to visit suspected weapons sites but Butler refused to allow any of his personnel to carry out their mission unless all are included.
Speaking to reporters at the U.N. on Friday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz called Butler's move "unacceptable" and said the arms inspection leader "will bear responsibility" for what follows if all inspectors are withdrawn.
When told of the Aziz criticism, Butler replied: "I grow a little tired of swapping who is at fault. If he's implying that I am responsible for what happened on October 29, that's plainly wrong."
"Every day that has passed since the 29th of October ... has harmed our monitoring effort," he said. "Every day lost makes the circumstances worse ... and when we leave tomorrow (Friday) those problems will simply grow."
'It is a problem that is solvable'
Aziz met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Thursday, and was to leave Friday for Paris and the Mideast.
"It is a problem that is solvable," Annan said later. "They (Iraq) had a chance to do it and missed it. But I hope that they are serious about solving it through diplomatic means, that they will make the right gestures."
Asked whether he thought Aziz's visit to New York was a
failure, Annan said, "Obviously if he came in the expectation that he will leave this issue behind us, then it has not succeeded."
Reuters contributed to this report.
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